The present invention relates to a multilingual patent information search system and apparatus, and a control method therefor and, more particularly, to a patent information search system and apparatus for searching a database storing predetermined information on the basis of, e.g., an input keyword, and a control method therefor.
Along with recent development of communication networks including the Internet, information must be inevitably published in different linguistic areas. For example, as services for publishing information, search systems for searching databases storing information associated with Japanese patents or utility models through networks have been proposed. Necessary information can be easily obtained by accessing the above-described search systems from personal computers at home or the like.
For example, a document search system disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. Hei 5-324791 translates an input English keyword into a Japanese keyword and then searches for Japanese document files on the basis of this Japanese keyword.
A search system disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. Hei 6-180718 has English and Japanese dictionaries of synonyms. This system translates an input keyword of a foreign language into a corresponding Japanese keyword and searches the databases using this keyword.
In a database search method disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. Hei 5-233696, an English database is prepared. A Japanese keyword is translated into an English keyword using a table representing the correspondence between original and translation words, and the database is searched.
A system disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 3-278268 has a knowledge base formed in a predetermined language, a database formed in a language different from the language of the knowledge base, and a dictionary means for performing translation between the database language and the knowledge base language. An xe2x80x9cORxe2x80x9d relationship is set between a keyword input to the dictionary means in the knowledge base language and a plurality of keywords output in the database language, thereby searching the database.
A document search/display system disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 8-202721 searches for documents on the basis of a received keyword, translates the searched documents, and displays them.
However, the above-described prior arts have the following problems.
In the above-described search systems, for example, when a foreigner wants to search for information associated with Japanese patents or utility models, the following disadvantages may occur.
As the first problem, a formal applicant name in a foreign country (e.g., xe2x80x9cSUBARUxe2x80x9d) is sometimes different from that in Japan (e.g., xe2x80x9c (Fuji Jukoh)xe2x80x9d). For example, when a foreigner searches a database storing U.S. patent information using the formal applicant name in U.S.A. (e.g., xe2x80x9cSUBARUxe2x80x9d) as a search key, he/she can obtain desired information. However, when a database storing Japanese patent information is searched using the above-described search key, desired information cannot be obtained.
This is because the search key is different, as a matter of course. In this case, the foreigner must check the formal applicant name in Japan and then search the database storing Japanese patent information and the like. However, for foreigners who cannot understand Japanese, it is difficult to check the formal applicant name in Japan. In addition, to use the search system capable of searching for Japanese patent information and the like, very cumbersome operations including input of Japanese words are required.
As the second problem, when a foreigner has searched a database storing Japanese patent information and the like, the contents of searched information are hard to understand. This is because the obtained information is expressed in Japanese. To understand the contents of the searched information, it must be translated into a language that can be understood by the foreigner.
As described above, patent bibliographic information are important in narrowing down objects to be searched for. However, patent issuing countries employ unique description schemes for bibliographic information, and this makes it difficult for foreigners to access patent databases.
The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and has as its object to provide a patent information search system and apparatus which can be easily used by foreigners, and a search method therefor.
The present invention has the following arrangement as a means for achieving the above object.
According to claim 1, there is provided a patent information search system having a patent information processing apparatus for inputting a search expression for searching for patent information, and a patent information search apparatus for searching a patent information database storing patent information such as bibliographic information on the basis of a predetermined search expression,
the patent information processing apparatus comprising:
means for inputting a first search expression;
search expression replacement means for replacing the input first search expression with a second search expression suitable for search by the patent information search apparatus on the basis of bibliographic information search contents of the first search expression; and
first transmission means for transmitting the replaced second search expression to the patent information search apparatus, and
the patent information search apparatus comprising:
search means for searching the patent information database on the basis of the received second search expression; and
second transmission means for transmitting a search result to the patent information processing apparatus.
When components in the search expression are replaced, the ambiguity between different languages or different search expressions can be eliminated, unlike conventional translation. Hence, even when a search expression in a foreign language is input, accurate search can be executed.
If the user is a foreigner, his/her language must be automatically known. For this purpose, according to claim 2 as a preferred aspect of the present invention, the patent information search apparatus further comprises determination means for determining a language that can be understood by a user who has generated the first search expression, on the basis of unique information for specifying the user.
If the user is a foreigner, the searched data is preferably translated. Especially according to claim 3 as a preferred aspect of the present invention, the patent information search apparatus further comprises translation means for translating patent information so as to translate a character string contained in a figure into a character string in the language that can be understood by the user. Only by partially translating the figure, a large quantity of information can be given to a foreigner.
If the user is a foreigner, the searched data is preferably translated. Especially according to claim 4 as a preferred aspect of the present invention, the patent information search apparatus is connected, through a network, to a translation server for translating patent information, and comprises translation request issuing means for issuing a request to translate the search result from the search means into the language that can be understood by the user.
When translation is executed outside the system, the load on the system decreases.
According to claim 5 as a preferred aspect of the present invention, the replacement means has a replacement table for replacing components of the first search expression with components of the second search expression in a language of the database.
Replacement using the table is efficient.
According to claim 6 as a preferred aspect of the present invention, the replacement table contains at least one of
a table for replacing an applicant name in the first search expression with an applicant name described in the language of the database, and
a table for replacing a patent classification code in the first search expression with a patent classification code of the database.
According to claim 7 as a preferred aspect of the present invention, the patent information database stores at least information associated with English abstracts, free keywords, F-term codes, and International Patents Classification, which correspond to official gazettes of patents, utility models, designs, and trademarks.
According to claim 8 as a preferred aspect of the present invention, the bibliographic information used in the search expression contains at least one of an applicant name, a patent classification, a publication number, a publication date, an application number, an application date, an official gazette type, and a country of priority claim.
The U.S.A. does not employ the International Patents Classification. Hence, according to claim 9 as a preferred aspect of the present invention, the bibliographic information in the search expression is replaced between the U.S. Patents Classification and the International Patents Classification.
According to claim 10 as a preferred aspect of the present invention, the replacement table replaces the bibliographic information in the search expression between a date in the Japanese year and a date in the dominical year. This is because a data in the Japanese year cannot be translated into a date in the dominical year.
According to claim 11 as a preferred aspect of the present invention, the bibliographic information contains at least one of information associated with an examination procedure, information associated with an appeal procedure, and information associated with registration.
According to claim 12 as a preferred aspect of the present invention, the patent information processing apparatus comprises a client terminal connected to the patent information search apparatus through a network.
The patent information processing apparatus can be divided into various forms. For example, according to claim 13 as a preferred aspect of the present invention, the patent information processing apparatus can be divided into
a computer information processing apparatus connected to the patent information search apparatus and including at least the replacement means and the first transmission means, and
a client terminal connected to the computer information processing apparatus through a network and having the input means.
The patent information processing apparatus can be divided into various forms. For example, according to claim 14 as a preferred aspect of the present invention, the patent information processing apparatus can be divided into
a patent information database as the patent information search apparatus, the replacement means and first transmission means, a computer information processing apparatus connected to the patent information database, the replacement means, and the first transmission means through a bus, and
a plurality of client terminals each connected to the computer information processing apparatus through a communication network and having the input means.
To apply the present invention, most terminals preferably comprise existing terminals. According to claim 15 as a preferred aspect of the present invention, the client terminal comprises an emulator terminal of the patent information search apparatus.
According to claim 16 as a preferred aspect of the present invention, the patent information processing apparatus comprises display means for displaying the search result in a form that can be understood by the user.
According to claim 17 as a preferred aspect of the present invention, the display means comprises means for translating the search result into the language that can be understood by the user by machine translation.
A foreign user can readily understand the search result by only adding an English abstract. Hence, according to claim 18 as a preferred aspect of the present invention, the display means displays the search result added with an existing English abstract.
According to claim 19 as a preferred aspect of the present invention, the computer information processing apparatus incorporates a translation engine.
When patent information to be searched for has priority claim, a foreign user can directly use the patent information of base priority. Conversely, if the patent information is a Japanese application, an English abstract is required. Hence, according to claim 20 as a preferred aspect of the present invention, when the search result from the search means represents that a country of priority claim is a country using the language of patent information for the search means, the information processing apparatus generates a command for causing the search means to search for an English abstract and receives a processing result from the search means according to the command from the search means.
Similarly, according to claim 21 as a preferred aspect of the present invention, when the search result from the search means represents that a country of priority claim is a country using the language of patent information for the search means, the patent information search apparatus searches for a corresponding English abstract and transmits the searched English abstract to the patent information processing apparatus.
Conversely, according to claim 22 as a preferred aspect of the present invention, when the search result from the search means represents that a country of priority claim is a country using a language other than the language of patent information for the search means, the patent information processing apparatus generates a link to a network to the country of priority claim and returns the link to the network to the user.
According to claim 23 as a preferred aspect of the present invention, in the patent information search system of claim 22, the link to the network is an URL address.
According to claim 24 as a preferred aspect of the present invention, the patent information processing apparatus has a terminal for displaying a processing result associated with priority claim.
In order to achieve the above object, the present invention can be applied to networks in various forms. When the present invention is applied to an information search relay apparatus inserted, through a network, between a plurality of terminal devices and a patent information search apparatus for storing and searching for patent information, the relay apparatus comprises
search expression replacement means for replacing a first search expression input from the plurality of terminal devices with a second search expression suitable for search by the patent information search apparatus on the basis of bibliographic information search contents of the first search expression;
first transmission means for transmitting the replaced second search expression to the patent information search apparatus; and
relay means for receiving a search result according to the second search expression by the patent information search apparatus from the patent information search apparatus and relaying the search result to the plurality of terminals, as in claim 25.
According to the relay apparatus of claim 26 as a preferred aspect of the present invention, the patent information search apparatus has an existing patent information database described in a language different from a language of the first search expression.
As the characteristic feature of the relay apparatus, a plurality of users access the apparatus. Therefore, a new data base can be constructed in the relay apparatus. The relay apparatus of claim 27 as a preferred aspect of the present invention further comprises
means for sequentially storing search results received from the patent information search apparatus to form a database, and
means for searching the new database using the replaced second search expression, and
when no result is obtained from the new database, the first transmission means transmits the replaced second search expression to the patent information search apparatus.
The above object can also be achieved by a patent information search apparatus according to claim 28, for searching a patent information database on the basis of an input search expression and outputting a search result, comprising:
replacement means for replacing an input first search expression with a second search expression for searching the patent information database, on the basis of bibliographic information search contents of the search expression.
The above object can also be achieved by a search method of any one of claims 29 to 57.
The above object can also be achieved by a storage medium of any one of claims 29 to 57.
In the above search apparatus or method, the patent information database can be searched on the basis of information other than bibliographic information.